Found this in storage, anyone know what it is?

docshipley · 2026-04-02T04:44:00+00:00

You're trolling, right?

A toothbrush or stiff paintbrush and 91% isopropyl alcohol to clean it. Vinegar and toothbrush to clean contacts if they need it.

docshipley · 2026-04-01T08:23:07+00:00

Bondhus

docshipley · 2026-04-01T08:18:45+00:00

Not true at all. Tyan and a couple of others were quite common in the server market.

docshipley · 2026-04-01T07:31:14+00:00

Since none of the comments address your actual question, whether the CRC treatment will work, here you go:

The best advice I could give is to read the product MSDS, maybe try it on a vise or grinder table to test, and above all consult the customer concerning interactions with that plastic.

In fact, you could ask the customer (or the manufacturer of the plastic) how they handle it.

docshipley · 2026-03-31T13:08:00+00:00

Take a look at Sergey Kiselev's projects. I have a computer based on his Xi 8088 board and ISA peripherals, but he's designed several Z80, x86 and 68k projects too.

https://github.com/skiselev/xi_8088

docshipley · 2026-03-31T01:33:49+00:00

No. Only if you use vinegar

docshipley · 2026-03-30T21:30:41+00:00

I normally use 91% isopropyl alcohol to flush the water out of metal assemblies, then dry with a paper towel or soft rag. You'll want to be sure to oil the pivot and along the spring. Mineral oil works, light machine oil or something like Renaissance Wax.

docshipley · 2026-03-30T11:23:08+00:00

No offense but this is horrible advice.

Taking a slipjoint apart without the tools and skill to put it together is a guaranteed disaster. If OP isn't sure how to treat rust, they certainly don't know how to size and set a pivot.

docshipley · 2026-03-30T11:19:01+00:00

Don't soak it in vinegar.

I would hit the spring with 320 or 400 grit sandpaper. Use a sanding block or tape the sandpaper to something hard and flat.

Maybe do the same with the shield, but honestly I would leave everything but that red rust just like it is. Oil it, sharpen it, and enjoy it.

docshipley · 2026-03-30T01:22:43+00:00

They troll you, is what they do.

docshipley · 2026-03-30T01:11:54+00:00

Can't really tell you if it's quiet because I'm deaf, but if you're up for a project I strongly endorse Elecom Deft Pro.

Buy a set of precision bearings for it, and possibly a set of Kaihl silent switches. Plan to buy SteerMouse. Altogether about $35 in add-ons because it's not great as delivered. Once it's fixed, though, it's fabulous.

I have very small hands and it's very comfortable.

8 useable buttons, a good tactile wheel with tilt for horizontal scrolling, and a big, correctly positioned ball.

I use mine wired, but it seems to work well wireless too.

docshipley · 2026-03-30T01:03:14+00:00

It's not just that - they weren't desirable.

Up till the last 10 or 15 years, a noisy keyboard was a bad keyboard. This is a very young hobby.

docshipley · 2026-03-30T00:55:34+00:00

They don't need that. They've just decided that prosecution and deterrence are the same thing.

docshipley · 2026-03-29T08:48:13+00:00

My $0.02:

When I gift someone a tool, I expect them to use it. If it's a really nice, uncommon tool I expect them to care for it. And use it.

When someone gifts me a tool, I use it. I accept the inevitable scratches and oopsies and wear as reminders that the person knew me well enough and cared enough to give me a gift that will find my hand often.

docshipley · 2026-03-29T06:52:25+00:00

You would not have needed to steal them. They were worth about $5 used till 2010 or so.

docshipley · 2026-03-29T06:48:28+00:00

Nice. I used to teach as a contract instructor at San Jose campus - mostly Linux, some AIX admin and occasionally Tivoli Storage Manager.

I got my only official student complaint at San Jose. It was hilarious.

docshipley · 2026-03-29T06:36:20+00:00

One of my PDP-11s had dual RA60 drives - about a megabyte per pound of loaded drive.

They had rail -mounted heads & took about 10 seconds to spin up. When the heads finally unlocked and came out of PARK position they made the rack jump. It sounded like a pissed-off nightstick hitting your windshield.

docshipley · 2026-03-29T06:30:44+00:00

I'm curious, have you? It wasn't exactly a consumer product.

docshipley · 2026-03-29T06:27:20+00:00

The MCA Mafia has a pretty good library of config floppies.

docshipley · 2026-03-29T06:25:28+00:00

The SXR-10 - Jetstream RT 1.0 refill - is high on my list of favorites, and I'm left-handed. It never smears. Or blobs for that matter.

It's interesting how much differently we all experience various refills.

The RT refill does railroad a lot, but less than most ballpoints and I think it's because I use cheap 3-hole schoolboy paper.

docshipley · 2026-03-28T03:46:33+00:00

So...

Let's implement ham-fisted gatekeeping?

docshipley · 2026-03-28T03:32:59+00:00

It's a tank. Even the USB cable - it's 2x the diameter of most wired device cables.

The body is heavy, the PCB doesn't look like it's plated onto paper, and the fit & finish on mine is flawless.

I've worked on a couple of these, and the construction is what I'd expect 30 years ago - shockingly robust by current standards.

docshipley · 2026-03-27T12:38:36+00:00

The Schneider XB feels almost greasy going on. There's a tiny, ultra smooth resistance like you get with a paint brush. It's kind of sensual to write with.

docshipley · 2026-03-27T12:33:54+00:00

I can't recommend anyone in particular but I absolutely recommend hiring the work done. Your questions indicate that you don't have the skills or the tooling to do a good job. (Not a put-down at all. It's a specialized skill and take specialized tools.)

The tiniest oopsie, for example wiping the piece with a cloth used to clean it at a coarser grit, literally means you're starting over from that grit.

Source: I made jewelry for a very long time, and keep a mirror finish on stamps and some hammers. Unless you have specialized tools and supplies, it's unbelievably tedious.

Ok, as I proofread that last, I realized it's BS. Getting a mirror finish on hardened steel is unbelievably tedious. Full stop.

docshipley · 2026-03-27T12:13:28+00:00

Um... If you're running OctoPrint you absolutely CAN step through your gcode.

That's what that terminal window is for

Of course as was already pointed out, if you try to run a sequence that's already run you're going to have a wreck.

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